1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to scratching posts for cats and other animals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cats have a habit of standing on their hind legs and using their front paws to scratch any convenient object which their claws will dig into. This appears to help them to keep their claws in good condition and also enables them to exercise by stretching their body and leg muscles. This habit can be very annoying when the animal chooses to scratch against an item of furniture or a decorated part of the house.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,423 discloses a common form of scratching post in which an elongate carrier is wound with rope, and the carrier is upstanding from a base. The ends of the rope are pinned to the carrier so that the rope is not easily replaced. The main disadvantages of such a post are that the post takes up floor space, is easily overturned, and has a limited life.
European Patent Specification No. 0,201,932 discloses a scratching post which includes a wall-mounting backing plate and a pair of spaced support walls projecting from the backing plate. A series of cork elements are supported on a rod between the support walls, rather like a kebab. Although the cork elements can be removed from the rod for replacement they are not as effective as a length of rope wound on a carrier.